Life is Kombat
by Shortchannel4
Summary: Max is taken to another world, where she meets a girl who sounds exactly like Chloe. Crossover. Oneshot.


**A/N: Had to do this after I kept hearing Ashly's (Chloe) voice in MKX. The joke is that she voices both these characters.**

* * *

"Chloe!"

The name was drowned out by the heavy winds around her, winds so strong that it nearly lifted her from the ground, but she pressed on upward the hill. "Chloe!" she called again, and carried herself by sheer force towards the light house, not letting the roaring heavens themselves stop her. As she neared the top, she saw the swirling monstrosity moving ever closer towards Arcadia Bay. The tornado took everything in its path, sucking in boats and trees into its orbit like a moving planet through the depths of space.

"Max!" she heard Chloe call, the indistinguishable voice of Chloe.

"Chloe!" Her body was torn from the earth, being pulled into the air and the only thing keeping her from an untimely date with Mother Nature was the bars on the bench. The same bench they had sat together days prior. Max quickly ran and grabbed her, trying with all her might to pull her in.

"Don't let go!"

"I won't!" Max pulled in harder.

"I'm sorry! About everything!"

"It doesn't matter now!" Max said as she pulled in even more. She was about to pull her in close, enough to maybe set Chloe down and make a run for it together. But a shock to the head by an eagle statue broke their contact. Chloe screamed as she was sucked in, her body pulled into the twister that was now crashing through Arcadia's docks. "Chloe!" Max heard the screams grow lower and lower, as Chloe's body became smaller. Finally, they were drowned out as Max saw Chloe's body hit a truck, and then limply disappearing into the twister.

Before she could mourn, the winds had caught her as well, pulling her off her feet like what she had always imagined a telekinetic assault would be like. She quickly gripped the bench, but it too was pulled off its hinges. Max could do nothing but scream as she was taken by the maw of the raging maelstrom.

She woke up in what was obviously Hell. If the unbearable heat and the redness that came into her vision as soon as she opened her eyes weren't sign enough, then it was the spooky skeletons sticking out of the cavernous floors and walls. They were moving, as if trying to reach out. "Is this my fate for playing with forces I couldn't understand?" she said to the lost souls listening in. Assuming they were. "It's fitting, I guess?"

She walked, expecting to be taken to torment anytime soon and end up like the corpse lying nailed to the wall next to her. Instead, she found what she assumed was a demon with its tendrils spayed on the floor. Her boots had already stepped on an intestine before she noticed, and then saw more demon corpses lying before her. This should be disgusting and horrifying, stuff that would give her nightmares for the rest of her life. Stuff she would need therapy for, like Nathan. But she only found it slightly discomforting. And that was bothering her to no end. "Might as well capture the moment," she said, reaching into her bag and finding her camera still whole, miraculously. "Say cheese, souls of the damned!" And the infernal chorus stopped for a moment to be captured by her, even the waving skeletal hands paused. She took out the photo and shook it, then placing it in her collection in her bag.

"Fucking shit on hockey sticks!" she heard a familiar voice say and Max' heart nearly popped off her chest.

"Chloe!" She ran, letting her boots get splattered with more demon guts.

"I'm getting fucking sick of you fucking demons." That was _definitely_ Chloe's voice, there was no mistake. Max turned a corner and saw her fighting against a large char-skinned horned humanoid, punching and kicking it with skills she's only seen on Bruce Lee movies.

But there was one problem, the girl fighting the demon in front of her, with Chloe's voice, was not Chloe. Yes, she was blonde like Chloe, but last time Max checked, Chloe has blue hair. Much like the characters in her Chinese cartoons. Secondly, she did not have the sides of her head shaved like this girl did. Although Max could see Chloe with that look at some point. Three, this girl is taller than Chloe, and more fit, with her muscles visible under that tight black military suit. Which bought her to her fourth point, Chloe isn't and would never join the military. So, who the hell is this girl and why does she sound exactly like Chloe?

"Hey!" Max shouted, tired of fate playing tricks on her. Tired of seeing everything she's ever loved ripped away from her. Just tired of it all.

The girl looked back at her, and for a moment, everything seemed to stand still as Max gazed at the girl's blue eyes. Before the demon's clawed hand entered her gut. "No!" Max screamed as she put her hand forward, a familiar feeling washing over her.

Time rolled back, the demon's hand pulled out and the flesh on the girl repaired. With her powers still intact she thought _Déjà vu_ , _I need to fix this quick_. "Sidestep!" Max screamed as time rolled forward again. The girl took cue and did as instructed, stepping to the side as the demon's hand came forward. She delivered her elbow to his back and then her foot as well. It entered so easily into the flesh, breaking his bones and skin, more guts spraying everywhere. And then it dawned on Max that those dead demon bodies were this girl's doing.

"Die fucker die!" she screamed as she kept stomping on the creature and getting herself dirty with its blood.

"I think he's dead," Max said, approaching the girl and holding her bag tight.

"Not dead enough!" she said, emphasizing with one last crunch. Her eyes shifted towards Max, as if now realizing she wasn't alone in the inferno anymore. "Who are you? Thanks by the way, but seriously who the fuck are you and why are you in the fucking middle of the universe's asshole here?"

"I don't know-I was-wait Chloe! Have you seen a girl with blue hair around? She sounds exactly like you!" Max said as she stepped back before saying "like seriously, you have the same voice, I ran here because I thought you were her."

The older girl dropped her grimace, looking at Max with slight concern. "Sorry kid, I haven't seen any Chloe around here. My name is Cass, I'm with Special Forces here on a recon mission."

"Oh."

"How'd you get here? You don't look like you're dead."

"I was in a tornado, I got taken here, I don't know where I am," Max said, looking away. Cass suddenly groaned, clutching her stomach as blood began to ooze out.

"Ow fuck!" Max quickly went to her side, helping her sit down on a nearby rock. "God damn it. I fucking beat Shinnok, saved the realms and now I get shot with a crossbow by a demon on a fucking recon mission? And since we do demons use fucking crossbows?" Max tried to smile, but Cass merely grunted in response. "I'm not usually this lame, I had to fight off fifty demons and a three-meter Oni."

"Hey it's alright," Max said, sitting next to her.

"So, you say I sound like you're friend Chloe?"

"A hundred percent, I'm still weirded out by it."

"I get it. It's like, if your realm and my realm were different video games then me and Chloe would be voiced by the same actress." They smiled, but then looked away from each other, an uncomfortable silence setting in. Even the pools of lava around them stopped churning. "But that's silly. Some people just sound alike."

"Yeah I guess. So what is this? Hell?" Max asked, looking around her.

"Netherealm, same thing really. There's no Satan, there was a guy who fit that bill though." Cass smiled widely. "But he's been taken care of. Now it's just a bunch of Shaolin Monks who can't let go." A footstep caught their attention. They both stood up as a stranger approached them. "Well speak of the devil…"

A man whose veins looked as if they were circulated by orange glowing Tang, his eyes as well, walked towards them, his large circular hat obscuring his eyes. Max stared at his sleeveless vest, with a demon carved into the chest area. That was pretty edgy, and Max had seen edgy before. Despite that, there was an eastern archaic touch to his clothing, and she really wanted the sash he had around his waist. "Who's that?" she whispered.

"Kung 'not Liu Kang' Lao," Cass answered.

"You're tongue will do you little well in the netherealm, Cassandra Cage," he said, his voice reverberating like an echo and taking off his hat of his bald head. He threw it to his side, circling and coming back to his other hand. "I wonder how many times will the emperor have to rip it out after I take your soul?"

"Oh wow, 'ooga booga'," Cass mocked, waving her hands and rolling her eyes. "Your threats are shit and your hat is shit, Lao. Even your nephew can quip better." She stood up, raising her fists into a Jeet Kune Do stance. "Let me handle this fool." But then she groaned as she grabbed her wound again, nearly falling over.

"I see you're wounded, Cage, I suppose this will be easier." Kung Lao moved forward, before Max stepped in the way.

"No, you're not hurting her."

"And what will you do, girl?" He asked, his predatory teeth leering.

"Kid, what are you doing?" Cass asked.

"I don't know, but I'm not letting you die again!" she said, turning her attention back to Lao.

"Again?" Cass asked as Max moved forward. Ever since she woke up there, something was different, very different. From her lack of aversion to violence and gore, to this bravery she had suddenly acquired. If this really was a different universe, if that tornado really did drop her off in her own Oz, then it had different rules than her own. Rules she was more than happy to oblige. And something deep inside her, from the pit of her stomach, was speaking to her. It was telling her one simple thing.

 _Fight!_

Her muscles tensed, her knees bent and wide. Her palms flat against the air, almost inviting her opponent. "D'fuck?" Cass said.

"Impressive, but I am of the Shaolin, you have no hope of victory." Kung Lao raise his leg and bent his arms into a Shaolin Fist stance. He charged, his fist about to land on Max, but she dodged and hit him with several quick punches in the stomach. With a kick, she sent him away. Finding his balance, Kung Lao smiled. "Today will be a good day."

This time Max ran, punching all she could as Lao blocked every one of them. He returned her attacks, landing a blow to her collar, then stomach and finally her head. She was sent flying to the ground, landing on her back.

"Oh, bad combo," Cass hissed while cringing.

 _That hurt,_ Max thought as she got up, _but that sort of thing should have landed me in the hospital._ Max ran to Lao, before he suddenly disappeared upwards as if being taken by winds. She turned and saw him behind her, his bladed hat whizzing through the air and towards her. She lifted her hand.

She ran, taking the hat from the air as time reversed and standing behind him as he had dropped from the air. Kung Lao suddenly found himself with his hat plunged into his back.

"Whoa!" Cass cheered. "You're a teleporter! Sick!"

"Not quite," Max said, hopping away from Lao as he pulled his hat off himself.

"Witch," he said. "You will suffer greatly." He jumped and planted his feet on Max's chest, sending her tumbling back on the ground. He jumped to the air and threw his hat at her, aiming straight for her pelvis. "Nop," Max said, stopping time again and moving under him. The hat missed and a great pain came to Kung Lao's undead testes, dropping to the floor, hard and recoiling like a baby.

"Nice nutcracker move!" Cass cheered.

"Thanks, it seemed right you know." Kung Lao stood up, his hellish veins glowing even more intently. "Time to end this," she said as she sprinted towards him. She dodged his first punch, but he blocked hers. He couldn't block her second punch, and neither the third one. Cass' eyes widened as she saw Max performing the combo of the century, she was completely wailing on the guy, uninterrupted, unflinching and merciless.

With one last head-butt, she sent him stumbling back. As he ran back towards Max in desperation, she plunged her hand straight into his chest, grabbing his heart. The voice spoke to her again.

 _Finish him!_

She activated her powers and reversed time, Kung Lao walking back as Max held firm. Lao's heart was ripped from him, unknowingly, his open chest now not bleeding. Once time resumed, he let out a deafening scream. Blood exploded from his open wound, in a red shower and onto Max. Unfazed, she took out her camera, standing next to him and saying "Selfie time!" As the light flashed, Kung Lao fell to the floor, limp, blood spreading through the rocky surface. Max dried the picture and placed it in her journal.

"Ho...ly. SHIT!" Cass shouted. "That was fucking awesome dude, you're awesome. I don't even know your name, what's your name!"

"It's Max." Cass grabbed her by the shoulders, smiling widely.

"You are hella cool, Max. Let's get the fuck out of here." Max looked back at her opponent, lying on the floor.

"I just killed a guy."

"Nah, he's a netherealm specter, you gave him the afterlife version of a concussion. He'll be bothering us again soon. Come on, let's get to the extraction point. I need to introduce you to a few people." They moved away from the battleground, onto a more canyon like region, where giant swirling portal awaited them.

"I still don't know what happened, or why I'm here."

"We'll help you, I promise. And we'll find your friend too."

"I think I already did," Max said. Cass stopped and smiled warmly in return.

"Grab my hand, portals can be bumpy." Max held on, walking hand and hand into another swirling vortex. But the destination hopefully much brighter than before.


End file.
